Central Valley High School plans to begin offering online classes in Mandarin Chinese and Japanese, Health and Financial Literacy during the 2011-12 school year. During the 2009-10 school year the Central Valley City School District formed a committee and decided that the offering of these courses will become a reality by following a strategic plan based on the research of Ely's Conditions for Change:
There must be dissatisfaction with the status quo
The people who will ultimately implement any innovation must possess sufficient knowledge and skills to do the job
The things that are needed to make the innovation work should be easily accessible
Implementers must have time to learn, adapt, integrate, and reflect on what they are doing
Rewards or incentives must exist for participants
Participation in the change process must be expected and encouraged
An unqualified go-ahead and vocal support for the innovation by key players and other stakeholders is necessary
Leadership must be evident (Ellsworth, p. 60 - 61).
Synopsis of the Situation:
Central Valley High School is a large 9-12 school that has approximately 1,700 students, 120 teachers, 6 guidance counselors, 5 administrators and 20 support staff members amongst its population. It is located in the small city of Central Valley, which can best be described as an upper-middle class suburb of Columbus, Ohio. It is considered a white collar community as nearly 70% of its working population are employed in professional careers.
Ohio's passage of Senate Bill 311 introduces the new concept of credit flexibility to high school students. Credit Flexibility is a way to earn credit through either classroom instruction, demonstration of subject area competency, or a combination of both. There is no limit to the kind of course work or number of credits that can be earned through Credit Flexibility.This allows students to meet course requirements in a variety of ways. These ways include traditional, integrated ,applied and career-technical. Senate Bill 311 sets guidelines for Credit Flexibility.
Since one of the examples of how Credit Flexibility can be earned is through distance learning classes, Central Valley thought offering online Mandarin Chinese and Japanese courses would be a good way to add more language offerings to its World Language Department while also making alternative options available to students. The offerings of an online Health course and an online Financial Literacy course will be a convenient way for students to fulfill the graduation requirements that mandate each of those courses be taken by the end of the senior year.
Key Results that are Anticipated Following the Implementation of This Plan:
Students will have two additional World Languages from which to choose that will help contribute to them being more globally competitive.
Online courses will give students another alternative to earning credit for a course in alignment with the Credit Flexibility option that is part of Senate Bill 311.
The Central Valley School System will save money with the advent of online courses due to the following considerations:
a. Students will pay Central Valley City Schools to take the online courses instead of paying another educational institution as some students have done in the past.
b. Some retiring teachers may not be replaced as the courses they taught can now be offered online and facilitated by a teacher who is already on staff.
c. Some teachers can retain a degree of job security as they take on the new responsibility of teaching online classes.
Central Valley High School plans to begin offering online classes in Mandarin Chinese and Japanese, Health and Financial Literacy during the 2011-12 school year. During the 2009-10 school year the Central Valley City School District formed a committee and decided that the offering of these courses will become a reality by following a strategic plan based on the research of Ely's Conditions for Change:
Synopsis of the Situation:
Central Valley High School is a large 9-12 school that has approximately 1,700 students, 120 teachers, 6 guidance counselors, 5 administrators and 20 support staff members amongst its population. It is located in the small city of Central Valley, which can best be described as an upper-middle class suburb of Columbus, Ohio. It is considered a white collar community as nearly 70% of its working population are employed in professional careers.
Ohio's passage of Senate Bill 311 introduces the new concept of credit flexibility to high school students. Credit Flexibility is a way to earn credit through either classroom instruction, demonstration of subject area competency, or a combination of both. There is no limit to the kind of course work or number of credits that can be earned through Credit Flexibility.This allows students to meet course requirements in a variety of ways. These ways include traditional, integrated ,applied and career-technical. Senate Bill 311 sets guidelines for Credit Flexibility.
Since one of the examples of how Credit Flexibility can be earned is through distance learning classes, Central Valley thought offering online Mandarin Chinese and Japanese courses would be a good way to add more language offerings to its World Language Department while also making alternative options available to students. The offerings of an online Health course and an online Financial Literacy course will be a convenient way for students to fulfill the graduation requirements that mandate each of those courses be taken by the end of the senior year.
Key Results that are Anticipated Following the Implementation of This Plan:
- Students will have two additional World Languages from which to choose that will help contribute to them being more globally competitive.
- Online courses will give students another alternative to earning credit for a course in alignment with the Credit Flexibility option that is part of Senate Bill 311.
- The Central Valley School System will save money with the advent of online courses due to the following considerations:
a. Students will pay Central Valley City Schools to take the online courses instead of paying another educational institution as some students have done in the past.b. Some retiring teachers may not be replaced as the courses they taught can now be offered online and facilitated by a teacher who is already on staff.
c. Some teachers can retain a degree of job security as they take on the new responsibility of teaching online classes.